Last year’s runner-up Robert Karlsson holds a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee.
The 41-year-old, beaten by Lee Westwood in a play-off in 2010, bettered his opening round with a five-under-par 65 that saw him improve to nine-under and open up a solid lead over Colt Knost and Keegan Bradley.
Karlsson went into the second day one shot behind overnight leader David Mathis, but he was in good form over his opening nine holes to reach the turn at four-under thanks to birdies at the 11th, 15th, 16th and 18th. The Swede continued to look solid in his inward nine with further birdies at the first and sixth, and he could have been four shots clear had he not bogeyed the par-three eighth.
American pair Knost and Bradley tried to keep him in their sights, with the former making four birdies and two bogeys to shoot 68 and improve to six-under. Meanwhile rookie Bradley, who surprisingly claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at the HP Byron Nelson Championship last month, ensured he would have a share of second-place with a bogey-free 67.
Former world number one Lee Westwood, the highest ranked player in the field at number two, again failed to make an impact and goes into the weekend eight shots behind leader Karlsson. The Englishman opened his title defence with a disappointing one-under-par 69 on Thursday, and his form was even poorer on Friday with four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in an even-par 70.
Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia will not be in action this weekend after failing to make the cut. A nightmare visit to the third hole on Thursday wrecked the Spaniard’s chances of winning as he carded a miserable eight-over-par 78. He shot four birdies and three bogeys on Friday, but a one-under-par 69 was never going to be enough to keep him in the tournament.
